It’s a little disappointing to see so many comics at DC rushing toward an August conclusion, in order to be ready for their new #1 in September. Even though Paul Levitz is still going to be around on “Legion of Super-Heroes” when the numbering resets (again), he still has to wrap up the Saturn Queen and her Legion of Super-Villains storyline, and quickly.

The end result is an ever-increasing jumble, unfortunately. Characters are just starting to spout exposition left and right, instead of Levitz’s normal gift for having the information spread out gracefully over issues. Professor Li’s story, in particular, seems rushed this month, as does the dangling plot threads around Star Boy being resolved. It’s frustrating, because reading the issue gives you the continual sense that a couple extra months would’ve resulted in a much stronger conclusion.

Still, there are some nice bits here and there. Levitz’s strategy to rotate spotlights of the Legion through the story means that we get a great scene with Tellus going up against Saturn Queen, for example. This issue actually feels in many ways like Levitz getting a last chance to write a lot of the characters shifting into “Legion Lost” this September – Tellus, Gates, Dawnstar, Tyroc, and Timber Wolf all get moments here – so while it’s a little bittersweet, it’s fun for the reader too.

Even the art seems a little more cluttered and jumbled this issue. There are some exceptions, like the great two-page splash of the LSH and the LSV fighting one another, but on the whole it’s not quite as clean and crisp as I expect from Yildiray Cinar and Jonathan Glapion. I know everyone’s in a hurry to wrap things up, but it’s a shame that this means that the comics aren’t quite hitting their marks the way you’d expect.

It’s good to know that Levitz will still be here in two months to keep writing the title, but ultimately it’s a shame that what started out as a really good story is looking to wrap up as just all right thanks to the August deadline scramble. Everyone involved, sadly, deserves a little bit better.